There is a Relais & Châteaux property called Le Vieux Logis in Trémolat, deep in the French Périgord, that has the most beautiful outdoor dining room. I had lunch there three summers ago on my mother's birthday, sitting on teak furniture under a ceiling of linden trees. We all started out in a terrible mood (it had been a long trip), but by the time the café and mignardises hit the table, we were friends again.

Montreal's terrasse scene gets plenty of hype, but I'll pass on those rooftop patios filled with sangria sippers and scene soaker-uppers. My fantasy terrasse, like that one in Trémolat, offers bucolic views, chic table settings, exquisite food and a cast of smooth waiters and sophisticated rosé sippers. You won't find many like that in the city, but there is one hidden behind the Château de Ramezay that fulfills all of my terrasse fantasies. Even better, it's run by the staff of Le Club Chasse et Pêche.

By now most Montreal - and many foreign - foodies are familiar with Le Club Chasse et Pêche. Opened four years ago by chef Claude Pelletier and maitre d' Hubert Marsolais, "Le Club" (the nickname coined by regulars) quickly garnered praise as one of the city's best restaurants. Pelletier is one of Montreal's top chefs, but he's also a low-key kind of guy who shuns the spotlight. That's where Marsolais comes in. Charming, cool and ever-present in the dining room, Marsolais always has a smile on his face and a biodynamic wine for you to taste.

Not much has changed at Le Club since it opened. These seasoned restaurateurs were already working on a high level, so it's not as though they were learning on the job. Yet with main-course prices originally in the $20 range (I knew it wouldn't last), there's no missing how much more the "addition" is in 2009. And the inclusion of a terrasse last year resolved the problem of lunching in Le Club's dark dining room mid-summer.

Accessed either from the front of the château or on St. Claude St. just up from the restaurant, this 50-seat lunch-time-only terrasse is perched above the walled Governor's Garden, and covered by a large white awning, which means rain is rarely a burden. The gravel floor is not ideal for those with stilettos or fancy purses, so leave those at home. Still, the crowd here is pretty posh, so cut-offs and flip-flops should be avoided as well.

What you shouldn't avoid, though, is a glass of wine to get the meal rolling. Le Club's terrasse menu includes 19 selections of predominantly French wines by the glass ranging from $7 to $16. As for the food, prices are reasonable (lunch-time main courses cap at $23 versus $37 at night) ingredients are first-class, and presentations are pretty, pretty.

A recent lunch began with three starters: a snow-crab timbale, gravlax and a cold lobster soup. There's a ladies-who-lunch look to these plates that seduced me from the outset. Happily, everything tastes as good as it looks.

Paired with a mango salsa, the delicate crab salad was sweet and briny, with an added bit of crunch provided by slices of watermelon that had been marinated "sous-vide" to enhance the flavour and crisp-up the texture. Gorgeous.

The gravlax was just as good. Presented on a cucumber terrine layered with a subtle mint jelly, the toothsome slices of salmon added saltiness to the mix, and a few smears of yogourt pulled it all together. As for the soup, though more tomato in flavour than lobster, this cold potage was a real treat with a glass of rosé under the sun.

Main course shone as bright. A large plate of grilled octopus was served on a bed of chickpeas, red peppers and watercress with cubes of aubergine throughout. Octopus is huge on the restaurant scene right now, and this plate is one of the best. I also relished the elk tataki served on crisp green beans mixed with enoki mushrooms and dollops of tapenade. Though a bit peppery, this dish is still a winner, and, at $19, a steal considering the generous portion.

We wrapped up the meal with three desserts, a feisty Key lime tartlet, a dense chocolate cake and a cranberry square topped with a serious vanilla-bean ice cream.

There was no denying the Club Chasse et Pêche terrasse is quite the experience. Which left me wondering, how's the main restaurant at night?

Accompanied by Gazette wine critic Bill Zacharkiw, I returned to test the dinner fare and hear Bill's comments on the wine list, one of the restaurant's many strengths.

Dinner started off strong with a roasted quail starter served with lamb's lettuce and golden cherries laced with that chefs' fave, the Canadian ice-wine vinegar called minus-eight. I love quail, and I eat it whenever I can. This quail, with a soft texture and a rich, foie-gras-like flavour, was the best I have ever tasted.

Across the table, Bill worked his way though another octopus dish, grilled again but this time paired with cherry tomatoes and jalapenos. Though he found the seasoning lacked a hit of lemon to raise the acidity level, I felt the octopus needed nothing more to make it shine.

We both agreed, though, that the main courses were superb. Mine, a filet of Tasmanian trout paired with rock shrimp and the season's last (and tiniest) fiddleheads, was a complete success from the delicate texture of the fish to the overall spring feel of the dish.

Bill's, the house classic surf and turf, featured sweetbreads and lobster. I may have even like this dish better, as the lobster was perfect and the sweetbreads were crisp, not the least bitter. Swirled around the stack was a bisque-like sauce, making the whole dish as luxurious as delicious.

Desserts ended the meal on an even bigger high. Bill's, a caramel tart served with a bitter chocolate sorbet, was simple yet so perfectly flavoured that I bow to pastry chef Masami Waki for her bang-on caramel cookery. The girl also knows how to make a crumble. The one I tasted, apple and banana topped with a quenelle of dulce de leche ice cream, was heavenly.

Service was relaxed yet solicitous, and as for the wine, Bill said, "The list is researched, interesting and, above all, fairly priced for a restaurant of that calibre. I know a lot about wine, but I would be crazy not to ask their opinions on what to order. And that is the real jewel of the wine service there, the general knowledge of the staff."

I really can't say enough about my meals at Le Club Chasse et Pêche. There's a little voice inside telling me four stars might be excessive for a restaurant with a pretty relaxed ambience and no fancy tasting menu. But when everything is flawless, that's the only rating that fits.

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